Singapore, 6 November 2024 – At the Singapore International Transport Congress & Exhibition (SITCE) today, SBS Transit announced a new business collaboration with IBM (NYSE: IBM) to enhance its asset management systems with generative AI technology for its rail operations and maintenance projects. 

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration in the Asia-Pacific, SBS Transit, a leading public transport operator, will leverage IBM Maximo Application Suite (MAS) and integrate it with its own Intellectual Property assets to create a unique solution for the rail industry. Notably, this solution will bring together intelligent asset management, almost real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and reliability planning on a single platform to deliver greater efficiency and robust decision-making in maintenance activities. SBS Transit plans to use Maximo Application Suite capabilities such as Manage, and work order intelligence which are powered by watsonx.

By integrating advanced monitoring and predictive maintenance solutions, SBS Transit’s engineers and technicians will be empowered with almost real-time data and predictive insights, enabling them to anticipate and resolve potential faults or breakdowns before they occur. This enhances operational efficiency and reduces unplanned downtime. Using AI technologies to identify the cause(s) of train or equipment failures also enables them to quickly assign the appropriate staff with the correct tools to address the issue. 

Jeffrey Sim, Group CEO of SBS Transit, said: “Every day, our people go about their jobs with a clear focus on making every journey a delight for our passengers. This collaboration with IBM enables us to be strategic in contributing to this focus. Our combined solution employs AI and Generative AI technologies, which uniquely empowers us to use our data smartly, to drive higher rail reliability and efficiency that will serve our passengers well. We also look forward to extending this solution to rail projects overseas that are under our parent company, ComfortDelGro, and in so doing, further promote Singapore’s world-class public transportation system.”

Tan Siew San, General Manager and Technology Leader, IBM Singapore, said: “Currently, there are 4.7 billion commuters globally  who rely on the smooth operations delivered by IBM Maximo to shuttle between destinations. Transport operators increasingly need AI and analytics to efficiently monitor, manage and maintain their assets to provide the best passenger experience. In order to enhance this experience and make public transportation more efficient and convenient for commuters, the industry needs to proactively anticipate problems and increase diagnostic accuracy. As Singapore doubles-down on its smart nation initiatives, we are committed to helping more organisations like SBS Transit to build operational efficiencies with trusted and responsible AI to meet their business outcomes.” 

About SBS Transit

SBS Transit is an award-winning, premier public bus and train operator that is committed to making every journey a delight for its passengers. Every day, its extensive network of buses and trains carries more than 3.5 million passenger trips. As Singapore's largest and most established public bus operator with more than 3,000 buses, it operates some 200 bus routes. Its rail network spans 83 km across 79 stations. With the North East Line, it holds the distinction as the world’s most established operator of fully automated heavy metro systems, while the Downtown Line is reputed as one of the most reliable MRT lines globally with more than eight million train-km clocked in Mean Kilometre Between Failure. A publicly listed company, SBS Transit is a member of the ComfortDelGro Group, which is a leading global land transport company.

About IBM     
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit ibm.com for more information.